(VOVworld) - The second Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit will open in Ho Chi Minh city on Saturday, April 5. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and leaders of MRC member countries, MRC’s dialogue partners, development partners, donors, and international organizations will attend the summit. Following the 1st summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, in 2010, this year’s summit continues to pursue the will and political commitments of MRC leaders to overcome obstacles to the resilient development of the Mekong river.
Themed “Water, energy, and food security in the context of climate change in the Mekong River basin”, the summit will uphold the trans-border commitment to sustainably develop water and other resources of the Mekong river in the face of global climate change and increasing demand for water, energy, and food.
From Hua Hin statement to the Ho Chi Minh city statement
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand signed an Agreement on Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin in 1995. It was a legal commitment to cooperate in the development, use, sustainable management, and protection of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin. Since then, MRC cooperation has always been an important topic at high-level meetings of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, ASEAN, and other sub-region initiatives.
In 2010, on the 15th anniversary of the Agreement, leaders of the four countries agreed to organize an MRC Summit every four years, with the 1st summit in Hua Hin, Thailand. The resulting Hua Hin statement confirmed the Commission’s visions, priorities, and strategic orientations for the next phase. Le Duc Trung, Head of the Office of the Vietnam National Mekong Commission, said: “The Hua Hin statement paved the way for the Mekong River Commission to implement many strategic plans. First was to approve regional and national plans on the basin’s development based on comprehensive water management. Before 2010, the MRC could not resolve this issue. After the Prime Ministers signed the agreement, the plans were approved.”
The summit in Ho Chi Minh city will take place under pressure from hydropower plants, agriculture, fisheries, transportation waterways, and population increase. Along with economic benefits, all these things have a negative impact on the environment and water resources. Mr. Trung again: “First, the summit will repeat the commitment of the four member countries to sustainably develop the Mekong river basin. Second, they will review the implementation of the Hua Hin statement. Third, they will map out priorities and future orientations.”
Effective exploitation of the river
The Mekong River, one of the world’s biggest rivers, runs through 6 countries: China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It touches the lives of tens of millions of people and creates a diverse ecology that includes many animals and plants that are in the world’s Red Book of Endangered Species.
Vietnam has been actively working to protect the river. It has launched many initiatives including a transportation system that takes advantage of the Mekong’s interlaced branches to reduce the load on other transportation routes, support tourism and trade, and protect the environment by reducing vehicle emissions.
The 2nd Mekong River Commission Summit will be an opportunity for Vietnam to renew its commitment to work with regional countries, partners, and donors to ensure water security and sustainable management of the Mekong River basin.